Chanel unveils star-studded supermarket
Ever wonder what Keira Knightley and Rihanna do when they just want to go to the grocers like average people?
They go to Karl Lagerfeld's luxury Chanel supermarket, of course.
The fashion showman put on a Chanel Shopping Centre autumn-winter show that featured an audacious Walmart-sized reconstruction and saw the celebrity pair applaud vigorously from the front row. They clearly didn't seem to mind sitting near the canned goods food section.
The attention to detail was astounding.
An entire supermarket had been reconstructed across several hundred square metres of Paris' Grand Palais.
Guests stared in disbelief at shelves bursting with consumable products especially made for this show: bottles of Tweed cola, wine branded Maison Gabrielle and even grilled bread stamped CC.
This was clearly an autumn-winter show like no other.
Chanel trolleys at the side led on to a tall pile of coconuts next to a sign with "1 for the price of 2", a fresh fruits and veg section and large signs advertising Chanel's latest special offers. Instead of discounts they read "50 per cent markup".
"Luxury should be worn like you're going to the supermarket. It's the pop art of the 21st century," said the couturier in high spirits.
At the very least, it's proof that Lagerfeld is fashion's greatest showman.
Just like a supermarket, Lagerfeld produced a collection that was so varied there was choice for everyone.
With attention given to large rounded shoulders, exaggerated upper torsos, cinched or exposed midriffs and lashings of tweed, Lagerfeld mixed and matched.
Stylish brown tweed was turned into a jumpsuit - with voluminous pockets on the bust and great 80s turn-ups.
A section that seemed to channel the designs of artist Vassily Kandinsky provided bursts of colour on driving coats and a pair of bold blue and green leggings.
It looked very young, but Lagerfeld quipped after the show: "Never young enough for today's standard. The older the (women) are, the younger they want to look!"
For the fun factor, models carried large leather and silver-bound Chanel shopping baskets as they theatrically browsed the catwalk shelving.
If the show seemed to lack the focus of Lagerfeld's best shows, some fantastic single garments made up for it. One black, three-quarter length coat had a lovely fluidity with delicate diagonal ribs.
Chanel's supermarket show. Picture: Thiabult Camus/AP
